Shadow On The Stars
by Azlarok Tolkien
Summary: Pretty much your average explanation of what REALLY happened in the marauders' era. Remus/Sirius, James/Lily, Remus/Lily. That was a bit of a spoiler, but it should be good! R&R please!


Chapter 1

"Sirius Black! Get down here this instant!" He heard his mother's infernal screeching resound through 'The Ancient And Most Noble House Of Black.' He groaned very quietly, almost in his mind, though that probably wasn't safe either, and stood up, yanking his messy black hair back with a comb, straight to perfection, like the chair by his desk, like the Black family, like his life.

"SIRIUS!" His mother shrieked, shaking the old floors of the house. Sirius knew better than to yell something back, he just scrambled downstairs and assumed a straight, stiff, proper position in front of his mom, carefully keeping his facial expressions in check.

"Are you ready yet dear?" His mom asked in a sickly voice, like it was dripping in a sugary venom. How was that even a question? He had been dreading this day for years, being with his cousins every day, being looked down on or hated by normal kids, turning him into some perfect little mother's boy, cursing the world and sticking his nose in the air, it would be terrible.

"Yes mother." Sirius said. "My trunk is all packed, just upstairs." He said, keeping his voice steady and cool.

"Kreacher!" His mother called in her crisp, venom filled voice. "Bring down Master Sirius' trunk, will you?" She said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. The house elf snapped a smart salute and briskly walked off to his room, stiff backed, like everything here.

"Mother." Sirius said slowly, risking breaking the rule of not to talk unless spoken to.

"Yes Sirius?" His mother said after a pause, in a dangerously calm voice.

"I-" He really meant to ask, he did, but he couldn't stand to ask now that the time had come. "I- I will miss you." he lied pathetically. Maybe she was senile enough to believe it. Or cocky. Whichever, so long as she didn't think he was up to anything.

"I will miss you, my son." She agreed, long, straight black hair hanging over that cold smile that never reached her eyes; gray like his. He hated those cold, gray eyes, and that straight black hair. He hated how straight everything was in this stupid old house. "But Sirius, do not underestimate me. I know how you are, and I wouldn't send you out to Hogwarts if I didn't wholeheartedly believe that a year with family your age would be very beneficial. And I'm sure you will come around just like your brother by summer." She said, that horrid smile eternally plastered on her face. Sirius gulped and nodded, feeling like a prisoner of war. Kreacher brought his suitcase down, and his mother placed a bony arm around him, steering him out of the house, to seal his impending doom.

* * *

Remus sat in his room on the first of September, at nine in the morning as he waited for his stepmother to finish putting on her makeup. They lived by Chelmsford, so the drive to London should only take about an hour. His father and wife pretended they weren't dying to be shot of him, but he was very perceptive. After his mother, the magical side of him died, his dad took it out on the next magical thing to come his way- enter Fenir Greyback; werewolf. After Remus had been bitten, he was a disgrace to his father. His dad got fellow muggle wife, and they had a normal daughter, with a normal son on the way. Remus was just a kid they chose not to ship off to an orphanage. Of course, with the whole 'werewolf' issue, Remus' stepmother had to be told something about the monthly disappearances. Remus once listened in on his father explaining it.

_"Darling, my wife was strange, I don't deny that. And her son's an odd creature as well. Believe me, the less you know; the better."_

And when Mrs. Lupin wasn't even cold in her grave. Remus couldn't stand his father or stepmother, as though it were his choice to be this creature. He re-read the letter in his lightly trembling hands, stuck behind the usual Hogwarts letters. It was scrawled hastily in long, elegant script, reading;

"Please come to the hospital wing an hour before sunset on the day of the full moon."

That was perfectly less than helpful in Remus' opinion. What were they going to do about his situation? He couldn't come home, not a chance, but what where they going to do? Try to restrain him? They would get killed, and he would be expelled. And if they did know what to do, what if somebody found out? He told himself to calm down, breathe slowly.

"Re-mus!" His stepmother sang, stretching his name into six syllables.

"Coming." He called back after a pause, making sure his voice didn't crack. He wasn't sad to be leaving home, just sad to place more people in danger.

"Ready to go to this school of yours?" His stepmother asked, smiling her too white smile, fake blonde hair hanging in her fake blue eyes.

"Never been any less ready." He said, with a sarcastic smile, hoping she didn't catch the sarcasm. She didn't.

* * *

Sirius was being steered more so than the cart as his mother pushed him across the platforms at King's Cross Station. He didn't like parts of it that much, it was full of straight things as well. But it was sort of pretty. The brick arches, steam pumping everywhere, it was quite cinematic. And he liked to look at all the people, colorful and strange, foreign and native, loud and quiet, tall and short. He had never seen a decent collection of people, normally just the same, gray eyed, brown haired, tall, pale, dark family he had been raised with. He looked at all the different hair, and began to feel self conscious about his short, heavily combed hair. Maybe, if none of his dreadful relatives wrote his mum about it, he would grow it out to something more expressive. Bellatrix would have left, right? Yes, of course, she was 18 this year. Sirius HATED Bellatrix Black with a fiery passion, for all the years she taunted him, once practiced the Cruciatus Curse on him! Of course, she hadn't been that good at the time, but he was sure if she attempted such a feat now, it could hospitalize him. Suddenly, he was aware of the fact that his mother was currently steering him towards a brick wall.

"What are you doing?" Sirius yelped, forgetting that he was indeed speaking out of turn.

"Getting you onto the platform, and don't speak unless spoken to Sirius Black." His mother said dangerously as she pushed him through the bricks. Through?

On the other side, Sirius' mouth fell open at the sight of the steaming scarlet train in front of him, and all the colorful bustling wizards.

"Wow." He whispered reverently, his mouth in a comical 'O'. His mother pushed him forward until she stopped abruptly, and cried out; "Bella!"

Sirius' eyes widened for a second before he controlled his expression, as he saw Bellatrix, Narcissa, and Andromeda walk up to them. Andromeda was pouting, but her face brightened when she caught sight of Sirius.

"Hey Siri." Andromeda said casually as she put an arm around him in a maternal way that his mother could never achieve. "Ready to go to Hogwarts? You'll be great, really, and don't worry, nobody messes with my little cousin." She bubbled with a dimpled smile.

Bellatrix sneered at her younger sister. "Don't baby him 'dromeda. Sirius has to make his own way in Hogwarts. Did I help you when you came?"

"Obviously not." Andromeda said. "As I've had fewer than you hundred or so detentions, I would say I made I completely different name for myself. And that's why Mummy and Dad like Cissy best." She said icily to Bellatrix. "And you didn't have to drop us off, you can't terrify the student body of Hogwarts any longer!" Sirius breathed an unheard sigh of relief. She hadn't failed her final year, she wouldn't be spending a whole year with him. And Andromeda was nice. And Narcissa had virtually no mind of her own, so maybe school wouldn't be the hell hole he had depicted in his head.

"Can we get on the train now?" Narcissa whined nasally.

"Oh my God Cissy, can you do anything for yourself; BY yourself?" Bellatrix shrieked, her black hair frazzling out the way it did when she got angry, as though electric currents were coursing through it.

"I should get on the train too." Sirius mumbled, all but sprinting away with his trunk, and hopping into the scarlet train, with the only thing to look forward to was ten months without seeing his mother, brother, father, Bellatrix, or any stupid, pigheaded, pureblood, jerk.

* * *

Remus' family had left. As usual. So he was left, albeit on the platform, with a large trunk in a giant area filled with people. Remus was never good with people, and he hated large crowds. His trunk was also far too heavy for him, filled with a ton of not only everything on the Hogwarts list, but his favorite books, lots of spare parchment to write on, extra quills and ink, and of course, all the ointments, creams and potions for his wounds during the full moon. He twisted his white, button up shirt, and his hands connected with his tie. He began fiddling with it like a clarinet, his fingers drumming up and down it. He looked around, his eyes passing over a menacing looking group with a boy running away from it, and glancing over a short, chubby blonde boy, and over to a cocky looking boy with messy black hair. He heard a near hysterical girl screaming "Tuny!" and saw a boy with very greasy hair. He felt sick at the thought of all of this, it was just so overwhelming. He was now playing a spirited solo on his tie, as he felt the hysteria building within him. He squeezed his eyes shut breathing deeply until he felt reasonably calm, then drug his trunk over to the train. His thin frame shook as he tried to lift his trunk up into the Hogwarts Express, making his eyes water at the effort of the heavy lifting he had to do.

"Hey, you need a hand with that?" He heard a confident, yet caring voice ask. Remus whipped around to face the boy with messy black hair and hazel, glasses covered eyes he had seen earlier, smiling at him with a highly cocky grin.

"Uh, er, yeah." Remus said, controlling his stutter- barely. The two grunted as they heaved his trunk up.

"Merlin, what is in there? Cadavers?" The boy panted with a laugh, wiping nonexistent sweat off his brow.

"Probably, the way my step-mom packs." Remus agreed, a half smile igniting his tired eyes.

"I know!" The guy said, eyes shining. "My mum must have put in 20 pounds of socks alone!"

"Right?" Remus said, eager to keep up this conversation.

"I'm James." The boy said, outstretching his hand casually.

"Remus." Remus said, shaking it peacefully. James looked sad.

"I wish I had a cool wizard-y name." He said with a small pout. "'James' is so boooring!"

"Yeah, well, 'Remus' gets you beat up by half the neighborhood." Remus muttered.

"Huh?" James said.

"Nothing." Remus said quickly. "But I'd switch you names any day."

"I may take you up on that." James said. "See you at Hogwarts!" He called, hopping on board. Remus followed, then dragged his trunk to the back of the train, where he found a conveniently empty compartment. He pulled out a book, and thought that maybe- just maybe, Hogwarts would be a good thing.

* * *

Sirius felt nervous already at having ditched his family, but hey, no punishment until summer, so he didn't have to worry about it now. Unfortunately, what he did have to worry about was the fact that a redheaded girl was crying in the seat next to him. She looked fairly messed up, and Sirius felt as though he should comfort her, but he really did not know how. His train of thought disappeared, however, when a boy with messy black hair sauntered in.

"Hello." The boy said brightly, flopping down lazily across from Sirius. "I'm James, James Potter, who are you?"

"Uh, Sirius. Black." He said, mumbling his last name, so that it was very hard to make out.

"Gah! Why does everybody have a cool fantasy name but me?" James whined.

"Ah, don't blame yourself mate. Nobody's as cool as I am." Sirius said with a smirk, shifting into a side of himself he never knew existed.

"Shut it you!" James crowed, pushing Sirius lightly.

"Not gonna happen!" Sirius taunted, his smirk broadening into a fully fledged grin.

"So, have a quidditch team you follow?" James asked.

"England of course! Wasps are gonna take the World Cup next year for sure." Sirius said knowingly.

"Pah!" James crowed. "The Irish have it, always have always will. Have you seen the new line up?"

"You're full of it." Sirius said.

"Full of what?" James asked.

"Full of-" Sirius was cut off as the compartment door slid open and a boy already in his robes, with terribly greasy hair and a large nose walked in, sitting across from the redheaded girl.

Sirius laughed peaceably with James while the two others talked about something completely irrelevant to them, until James looked over at something they had said.

"Slytherin?" James laughed pompously. "Who wants to be in Slytherin? I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?" He asked Sirius, whose gloom flooded out.

"My whole family have been in Slytherin." He said, pouring out his worry and angst into that sentence.

"Blimey," said James, "And I thought you seemed all right!"

"Maybe I'll break the tradition." Sirius said with a grin. "Where are you heading, if you've got the choice?"

James pretended to lift a sword, grinning broadly. "'Gryffindor, where dwell the brave at heart.' Like my dad."

The greasy haired boy made a strange noise in the back of his throat.

"Got a problem with that?" James asked, annoyed at this boy.

"No." The boy said with a sneer. "If you'd rather be brawny than brainy-"

"Where're you hoping to go, seeing as you're neither?" Sirius said, fearing this was too mean, but hoping to draw acceptance from his newly found friend.

James roared with laughter, which made Sirius feel better, and a fair bit more confident, but the red haired girl stood up pulling the other boy with her.

"Come on Severus, let's find another compartment." The girl said loftily.

"Oooooooo." James said, trying to trip Severus as he walked by.

"See ya, Snivellus!" Sirius called, finally letting out some of his pent up sarcasm and frustration on another human being.

"What a git." James said, leaning back again.

"Can't imagine spending the next seven years of my life with them." Sirius said, easily shifting into the biting, cruel mode, he would try not to be so mean later, he promised that to himself, but in the meantime, it looked like Hogwarts was going to be a fun experience for him.

* * *

Remus sat in the corner, his head leaning lazily up against the window as he read, when the glass door to his compartment slammed open.

"Oh! Sorry." The girl who had done so said, her face changing from furious to sheepish. "Do you mind if we sit here? Everywhere else is full, except for a space with these two absolute _gits_ and-"

"Yeah you can sit here." Remus interjected, not in the mood to let someone vent to him. The girl came in, followed by a boy with long, greasy hair and an expression of happy disbelief on his face.

"I'm Remus." Remus said, feeling brave.

"Lily." the girl said. Remus looked over at the boy, who seemed to shake himself out of a daze before saying, "Um, yeah. Severus."

"Cool." Remus said. "So, are you, er, excited?" He asked, awkwardly trying to keep the conversation going.

"Oh yes!" Lily crooned. "Sev told me about it back home and Hogwarts sounds AMAZING!" She cried. "Just, the castle, the magic, all of it, it sounds like an absolute dream come true!" She said, a dreamy look clouding her eyes.

"You sound enthusiastic." Remus said with a knowing smile.

"Well, I'm muggle-born, so, this is all new and wonderful to me." Lily explained, a tinge of red coloring her cheeks.

"Yeah, Hogwarts should be great!" Severus said, clearly desperate to back Lily up.

"Oh I know." Remus said quickly. "I hope I'm good at it; er, magic that is." He said, beginning to stutter again.

"Me too!" Lily said, her eyes flashing. "It sounds simple, but it must be harder than it seems, right? It only makes sense!"

"You'll be great at it!" Severus assured her.

"Thanks!" Lily said, beaming. "Do you want to practice?" She asked seemingly both of them.

"Yeah!" Remus said, nervously. He hadn't practiced magic before, but Lily looked like she'd be nice enough not to mention it if he were awful. So, he took his time withdrawing his wand from his trunk, but still didn't take as long as Severus, that had to open his duffel, remove half the contents, and put it back in.

"Okay." Lily said, stopping a little ways into the spell book. "This is kind of difficult, but we may as well try, right? Okay, Remus, this is Wingardium Leviosa." Lily said, passing the book to him. He felt fear rise in his stomach but easily beat it down.

"O-kay." He said slowly. "Don't laugh if I'm no good, alright?" He said worriedly.

"You'll do fine." Lily reassured him. Severus said nothing. Just glared. Remus gulped and raised his hand, wishing it wouldn't shake.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" He gasped, wiggling his wand just right, but his hand shaking the wrong way. He heard Lily's shriek before he saw her kicking in the air.

"I'msosorryLilyIdidn'tmeanto!" Remus gasped in one long breath before he saw her flopped on the seat, laughing raucously.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Remus! That was great! Oh God, can I do that again?" She gasped, her brilliant green eyes shining.

"That was really impressive!" Snape said, his eyes wide.

"You're brilliant Remmy!" Lily beamed, squeezing Remus by her side. He glanced at Severus, who offered him a small, begrudging smile. Remus felt an overwhelming wave of acceptance in their presence, like he was at home. It still didn't feel perfect, but for the first time, maybe he had friends. They practiced spells for a bit, rolling on the floor with laughter at some of the results, until they became aware of the sun's steady decent in the rolling countryside.

"We'd better change, Remmy." Lily said awkwardly. "Er, I'll go to the washroom I suppose." She murmured with a blush as she stepped out. Remus caught Severus giving her a look like he really would rather she change in there, but he chose to ignore it, and merely slipped his robes on over his thin outfit.

"Not changing?" Severus asked, a thin, black eyebrow arched.

"Oh, this is really thin, and I'm not in the mood to be bothered by such trivial things tonight." Remus said, checking to make sure you couldn't see he was wearing his clothes underneath his robes. Severus looked suspiciously at him, but shook his head and pressed his nose down into a book again. Remus couldn't change in front of anyone of course! He cursed himself as he found yet another flaw in the plan. He had scratches and scars all over, and a burnt in serial number for werewolf identification on his arm. There was no way on heaven or earth he would change in front of someone else, least of all Severus Snape.

Lily soon came back, and they all but held their breath in anticipation as the Hogwarts Express pulled up to the Hogsmeade station.

"Ready?" Lily asked, her eyes huge and bright.

"Yeah." Remus said, and remarkably, it was true.

* * *

"Why isn't your middle name 'Lee'?" James teased Sirius as they climbed off the train.

"Sirius Lee Black, very funny." Sirius said with a roll of his eyes. "You can poke fun all you want, but I've heard every joke possible about my name, and it-and I-are still dead sexy." Sirius laughed.

"Well I and my name are still dead sexier." James said, his tone aloof.

"Come off it!" Sirius said, shoving James a bit. James shoved him back, and this went back and forth until they ended up at the end of the line, next to a pudgy, watery eyed blonde boy. When they reached the boats, they both concealed groans with ease as they had to share a boat with the boy.

"No way! You're related to that bitch?" James gasped about someone.

"Actually, I'm related to most of the bitches of the world." Sirius said morosely. They heard a giggle from the back of the boat, but mostly ignored it.

"Ah well, Gryffindor'll be great mate, just you wait and see!" James said.

"Yeah, so long as you don't snore half as loud as you laugh." Sirius said. The giggle came again, and again Sirius ignored it.

"You know what?" James asked after a moment of silence.

"What?" Sirius asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I think that 'I've heard every joke possible about my name' is a challenge." James said, very siriusly. (See what I did there? Sorry, sorry, back to the story.)

"You're just jealous!" Sirius pouted.

"So? It still bugs you." James said reasonably, and Sirius had to admit; he was indeed correct.

At this, the boy behind them let out a scream of laughter that usually accompanies one's pants being wet.

"What?" Sirius said, turning around to the boy. He looked hurt, and began to speak.

"Sorry, it was just quite funny, that's all."

"It was conversation, I think if you heard a real joke, your arse will fall off with excitement." Sirius said, deeply annoyed.

"Everybody needs an audience." The boy laughed.

"Yeah, Sirius-ly! Everybody needs an audience! Be SIRIUS!" James said, his face splitting into a grin.

"This is going to make a hell out of the next seven years of my life." Sirius said, biting his lip and shaking his head.

"Well, two against one." The boy said cheerfully. "I'm Peter, by the way, and I assume you're Sirius? Is that SIRIUS ly your name?" Peter said with a silly smile.

"All right mate, you're getting the hang of it!" James said, high-fiving Peter.

"Oh Merlin." Sirius moaned. The boats pulled up to Hogwarts with the "Ooohs" and "Ahhs" of the students, all chattering with excitement as they were led in. Sirius missed most of the announcements some teacher made in an entry hall, and felt his muscles tense as all the first years were led into The Great Hall. Sirius gasped as he looked at the stars on the ceiling, perfectly mirroring the cloudless sky outside. He smirked, seeing the constellation his family was named after and knowing that nobody here would connect him to that.

All the first years filed up between two middle tables, one filled with people wearing blue badges, the other with those wearing yellow. He looked to the far left and saw the dreaded green badged kids, sneering and glaring across the hall. He felt his heart sink at the thought of leaving James to sit with those freaks, dozens and dozens just like his family. He shut his eyes, swearing to remember that he could be whatever he wanted.

Suddenly, his eyes were drawn to a frayed old hat on a rickety stool at the front, mostly due to it starting to sing.

_A multitude of years ago_

_ When I stood stiff and tall_

_ Brave Godric wore me proudly_

_ Of hats; I topped them all_

_ But these famed four soon understood_

_ They could not always choose_

_ Students of great prowess_

_ Would be poorly underused_

_ The hat was taken off his head_

_ And filled with powers of old_

_ In hopes that one day when they died_

_ I'd fit them in their molds_

_ Should you belong in Gryffindor?_

_ Where bravery beats all_

_ Or maybe go to Hufflepuff?_

_ Whose friendship never falls_

_ Perhaps to dearest Ravenclaw?_

_ If knowledge suits you best _

_ Possibly sly Slytherin?_

_ Where cunning brings your test_

_ No matter where you land today_

_ Or what tomorrow brings_

_ You will recall this fateful day_

_ And songs this old hat sings_

The hall burst out into applause, so Sirius joined in, a moment too late. He shrugged, wondering if a singing hat should confuse him, for it didn't, but everyone else looked shocked.

Black, Sirius was one of the first names to be called, and Sirius gulped as he walked slowly up, trying his very hardest not to shake. When he reached the stool, he gripped the edges as a professor placed the had on his head, letting it slide down over his eyes.

"Ugh, not another Black." He heard a voice groan in his head.

"Are you talking to me?" He gasped in his mind.

"Would you rather the whole hall hear?" The hat asked.

"No! Just checking." Sirius said nervously.

"So, you want to go to Slytherin I'm guessing?" The hat asked in a bored tone.

"No." Sirius thought glumly. "Of course I don't, but what choice do I have?"

"Well of course you have a choice!" The hat scoffed.

"REALLY?" Sirius thought, nearly jumping off the stool.

"Hmm, perhaps I misjudged you..." The hat mused.

"So, I'm not going to Slytherin?" Sirius asked urgently. Instead of answering, the hat yelled to the whole hall:

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Sirius eagerly ran towards the far right table amidst cheers, ignoring the sprinkling of shocked faces in the crowd, and murmurs of "Maybe we heard the name wrong?"

As Sirius sat down amongst older Gryffindor students, he smiled as all the other names were called, feeling that he finally was at home.

* * *

"This is so scary." Lily whispered.

"Has anyone ever not been chosen?" Remus asked quietly.

"No way." Severus assured him. "And, you'll be great." He added to Lily with a nervous little smile.

"Evans, Lily!" One of the younger teachers; Professor McGonagall called crisply. Lily shakily walked to the front of the hall, trying on the hat. The frayed seems barely made contact with her hair when it screamed; "GRYFFINDOR!" Lily smiled wide to herself, then smiled sadly at Severus, who groaned quietly. Remus gave Severus a sad look, and stared feverishly back at the front. All the rest of the names were a blur until Remus' name came up.

He closed his eyes, re-opened them, gulped, and finally took very slow steps to the front, in order to keep them steady. He sat slowly on the stool, forcing himself not to grip the edges.

The teacher lowered the hat on his head, and that hat yelled "GRYFFINDOR!" to the hall. Remus beamed, all but running to the bench next to Lily, but wondering in the back of his mind why it took so much longer than that with some people.

Remus waited impatiently while everyone was sorted, only noticing "Potter, James" getting sorted into Gryffindor, which was nice, until they got to "Snape, Severus". He and Lily hung over their seats, to watch him go up, sit down, and quickly get sorted into Slytherin. Remus and Lily let out a consecutive sigh as he walked to the opposite end of the room and sit down at the Slytherin table, getting patted on the back by a blonde haired prefect.

"Well, nice that we're in the same house!" Lily said brightly to Remus.

"Ever the optimist." Remus said with a little smile.

"Get used to it!" Lily said cheerfully, looking at the last of the first years get sorted.

"Ahem." Said a voice from the front. They all looked up to a man with a grayish brown beard, so long it was tucked into his belt, and distractingly blue eyes.

"I would like to say, first, welcome to Hogwarts. Though I'm sure you all are very hungry, I would like to say a few words to you about some changes being made this year. First of all, to new and old students, the staff has planted a Whomping Willow on the grounds, very rare plant, at any rate, please do not go near this tree. If you do not know enough Herbology to recognize it, I do believe you will, er, be able to tell, we don't have that many moving trees." Dumbledore said with an almost sheepish smile. "Also, despite popular belief, the Forbidden Forest, is indeed forbidden." The students laughed politely for a moment until he continued. "For any other rules that aren't simply common sense, please view the extensive list outside our new caretaker, Mr. Filch's office. Now, let us enjoy this fine feast, and drink to a very prosperous and mentally exhausting year." He finished, eyes sparkling.

Remus looked down at the previously empty plates as they filled with food. His amber eyes widened at this, having not seen magic since he was seven years old and his mother was alive.

"Wow!" Lily gasped from next to him. "This is so, well, MAGICAL!" She cried gleefully.

"No, really?" Remus said with a kind smile. Lily blushed, bringing her chin down to her neck.

"I know what you mean!" Remus laughed joyfully, putting a thin, cold hand on her shoulder. They smiled at each other excitedly as they ate, talking about all they looked forward to in Hogwarts.

"Sev told me that the Astronomy Tower is so tall, if you drop an owl pellet from the top, it can do as much damage as a bullet when it gets to the bottom!" Lily burbled.

"Do we really fly around on broomsticks for sport?" Remus asked.

"YES! It's called Quidditch, Severus said." Lily agreed. After the meal, a few taller students stood up, obviously in later years, and began calling out; "First years, this way! First years, follow us!" (OI! MIDGETS! Anybody get the joke? No? I'll shut up.)

About eleven kids followed the beckoning fifth years up the MOVING (?) staircases, and past moving, talking pictures, through hidden corridors and past floating candles. Remus decided immediately that a map needed to be made of this place, as he had no decent sense of direction. The prefects marched them up to a portrait of a fat woman in a pink dress, and one boy cleared his throat.

"Tu Gravis." The boy said, and the portrait swung open to reveal a warm looking room, with a large fire place and lots of overstuffed armchairs.

"This is the common room." The boy explained, going into more detail that Remus really didn't listen to. just following the crowd until he realized that boys and girls were separating, and that Lily was going up the set of stairs opposite himself.

"See you tomorrow!" Lily mouthed, then turned around to go up her set of steps. The male prefect led the six boys up the stairs, and into a room that with six four poster beads in it, all curtained in red velvet. Remus scrambled to the one that had his trunk in front, nervousness washing over him again, only this time, a good kind.

Everything about Hogwarts was unbelievable to Sirius. It was unbelievable that he had made two friends. It was unbelievable he had got into Gryffindor. It was unbelievable that he was happy. But mostly, it was unbelievable how wonderful a place could be. A hardened, powerful castle that made him feel right at home, yet filled with some much warmth, light, and color! And everything felt completely right to Sirius at that moment. You know, if only the prefect would shut up and let them sleep.

"So, see me if you have any questions. Goodnight." The prefect said, walking briskly out.

"Hey." James said easily, flopping down on his bed. "I'm James. That's Sirius, and Peter," He said, pointing, "And you're- Remus, right? Yeah, Remus. Who're you?" He asked his voice incredibly casual.

"I'm Frank." A dark haired, graceful looking boy said.

"And I'm Peleus." The small red head next to him said.

"You're Sirius?" The boy named Remus asked. "What's your last name?"

"Black." Sirius said, annoyed to the point of anger. The boy looked taken aback, then said;

"Well, that's pretty cool. Sirius the star, Black as the skies around it." He said, looking like he wished he hadn't said anything. Sirius could chose one of two paths, the kind, or the mean.

"Well, aren't you just a regular bard!" He crowed sarcastically, smirking inwardly as the boy shrank back. "Lay off my name, Loopy." He said, recalling his name from the sorting; Lupin. He hadn't known then that that exchange would shape their lives for a very long time, or he might have told Remus the truth; that he liked that star analogy very much.

***Trumpet fanfare* So that was the first chapter! Like it, hate it? Comment! Actually, don't comment if you hate it, that's just mean. Oh, and if you see this on buzznet, I did start the posting there, so yeah, I'm coming up with this on my own. Well, you know, as much as can be said for non AU fanfiction. Anyways, I hope you enjoy, because everything won't go the way you imagine!**


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